Shock gauge



Den. 7, 1948.

c. E, CREDE SHOCK GAUGE Filed July 4, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Um/0W CHARLES E CREDE Dec. 7, 1948.

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Filed July 4, 1944.

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Patented Dec. 7, 1 94 8 STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The subject invention relates to shock gages for measuring the acceleration imparted to rigid structural units which are subjected to shocks, such as gun barrel slides or mounts, railway apparatus, pile drivers, rolling mills, etc.

Various types of equipment used aboard a warship, e. g., have to withstand shocks of rather high magnitude. The designer of this equipment is therefore required to know the nature and magnitude of the shock. Knowledge of the magnitude of the shock is also required in the design of shock mounting and in formulating laboratory tests for testing the equipment developed. Shock is usually evaluated by measuring either the acceleration, the velocity or the displacement as a function of time. These characteristics can be measured with a reasonable degree of accuracy with existing instruments, but the required apparatus is ordinarily rather bulky, including much electronic gear, such as the oscillograph and amplifiers. It requires considerable time to set up for operation; it gets out of order easily; and it requires skilled operators to enable it to function properly. Such apparatus is therefore not gen- 7 erally satisfactory for use in field tests where ruggedness and lack of complexity are prime requisites for testing equipment.

Many simple instruments for measuring shock have been devised for particular use on ship board tests. Some of these include mass load tensile specimens which are broken by the application of a sufficient acceleration; spring loaded electrical contacts which are operated to actuate an electric circuit; a lead strip and a steel ball in which the steel ball indents the lead when the assembly is accelerated; and numerous other similar devices. These devices all work upon the well-known principle that if a force acting upon a known mass can be measured, the acceleration which results from such force can be determined. In the instruments mentioned the force was that necessary to break a tensile specimen, to cause contacts to break, or to indent the piece of lead. This principle is entirely rigorous for measuring acceleration, but unfortunately acceleration alone does not constitute shock. It is necessary to know the duration of the acceleration and in this consideration the instruments which measure acceleration alone are not satisfactory for evaluating the shock. These facts lead to the development of the shock gage which will be described in the following paragraphs.

The object of the present invention is to construct an instrument which will measure not only the maximum acceleration produced by a shock but also the duration of the component accelerations of lesser magnitude characterizing the shock in building up to its maximum acceleration.

A further object is to construct a simple instrument for measuring the characteristics of a shock by means of registering the maximum displacement therein of a series of masses urged against displacement by graduated resilient means.

A further object is to construct an instrument for measuring the amount and duration of the acceleration transmitted to a structural unit by a shock.

A further object is to construct an instrument having a mass held against displacement in the end of a cylinder by aspring of predetermined strength and means for indicating the maximum displacement of said mass resulting from the application of an impulse to said instrument thus indicating the duration of any acceleration corresponding to the strength of said spring or greater.

Other and more specific objects will become apparent in the following detailed description accompanied by the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central section taken along the longitudinal axis of one form of instrument constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly in section, along the lines of 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the masses in the instrument,

Fig. 4 is an acceleration-time diagram illustrating a theoretical square pulse,

Fig. 5 shows how the maximum acceleration transmitted to the instrument may be determined,

Fig. 6 illustrates an acceleration-duration curve for a particular mass displacement (d), which will satisfy the equation d= a25 Fig. '7 is a displacement-acceleration curve plotted in accordance with one set of values obtained from the instrument in a test, showing how the curve is extended to the zero displacement coordinate to determine the maximum acceleration,

Fig. 3 illustrates how the actual accelerationtime curve of the shock measured might appear when developed from the values obtained in Fig. 7 with the aid of curves of the type shown in Fig. 6 made up for the different displacements of the masses in the instrument, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the instrument.

The principle on which this gage operates is explained by means of the diagrams in the drawings, Figs. 4 to 8.

The gage, in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is comprised of a block I having a plurality of vertically extending cylinders 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in which small masses 1, 8, 9, l0, and II respectively are free to slide. Rigid stops are provided by the uppermost notches I2 of pivoted ratchet members I 3 forolimitingmthe upward-movement of the masses in their normal released .positions. Each mass is pushed against the two stops on its diametrically opposite ratchet members by helical spring I4 underneath the mass. Each spring has a different initial compression which is provided by spacers or pedestals I5, I6, [1, I8, and I9 .under the springs, each spacer having a difierent height. The spacer I1 is the lowest I8; I5, I9, and .I.6-following in that order in height respectively. The additional notches on the pivoted ratchet members I 3 are for determining the lowest position to which each mass is displaced by shock.I-.Each ratchet member is provided with a spring 20 for urging. it against the-top of the .mass.

. The. notches on the. ratchet membersbear against theupper lip of their. pistonmass so that whenthe piston-moves.downwardly .relative to the b1ock,..the. upperarms of the-ratchet membersmove toward each other andthe-notches 41 iinithe members-catch the. pistonatapproximately I 'its -.1owest.-position.

.acceleratio'nrtimef diagram of..Fig. 4. This will move the body of the gage upwardly at anaccel- .eration (an) fonactimeinterval. (to). .The relation, between .theapplied acceleration pulse and the magnitude of the=initial spring compression may .be. such that. the lowest positionsreachedby each of themassesarelthe dotted lines shownin Fig; 1. mentionedrabove, meansare provided foimdetermining the .lowest position reached or maximum displacement of .-each..mass. .Calling the maximum "displacementof. each mass dg'rthe curve shown 'in Fig.5. may beplotted. .LThe cordinatesof this curve arelthe initial spring.compre'ssions'p as abcissae jand themaxiniurndisplacements d of 'eachlmass asor'dinates.

It will be seen' froinFig. 5i'that asthe .initial spring compression is increased the 1 maximum jdi's'placement of'themass isdecreased. If the product of the initial springcompression and the inverse of the mass, supported upon the spring barely exceeds the, applied acceleration (ao)'.the maximum displacement d of the mass will be infinitesimally small; I A curve drawn'throu'gh the displacement points .i'n'Fig. 5' extended to the horizontal 'axisintersectsthis axis at some value (pa) of spring compression which when-divided by the mass'which the spring supports gives themagnitu'd'e or the applied acceleration (a'o).

Assume that the gage is subjected to any. unknown square pulse. The initialspring compresgage and .the maximum .displacement .01. that mass is determined by the means,..prov'ided. as part of the .gage. .Such a. displacement. could have been caused by any one of .aninfinitenumber of combinations of acceleration with time, either a high acceleration lasting for a short time or a low acceleration lasting for a long time. The various combinations of acceleration and time which could have produced this displacement are plotted in Fig. 6. Since the magnitude of the acceleration-(ao) was determined from Fig. 5 by thexintersection 'of the. curve with the horizontal shocks.

axis, the duration (to) of this acceleration can be determined from the curve of Fig. 6.

The above paragraph describes the operation -of the subject gage for measuring square pulse Asquare pulse shock almost never occurs in practice but the gage may be used to .evaluateranyi shock to the desired approximations by dividing it into a series of square pulses. For example, the gage is subjected to a shock and a curve-asshown in Fig. 7 is plotted from the gage Jeadings; The-.maximum acceleration (an) is 0 sion for any mass is known from theset-upof the determined as previously described. Now consider some, acceleration (as) .whichis. determined -by..the initialcompressionin one oflthesprings (supporting ,massB). If the applied acceleration isless than (as) ,.the. displacement of. therespective mass is zerobut if the applied. acceleration is reater...than (as) the maximum displacement (d8) of-themass is determined byduration oi the appliedacceleration and :the amount -by which it ,exceeds .(as). ..fFig.".7.-is used to determine (a0) andthedurationof the pulseI, as shownin Fig. 8, can bedetermined from a curve .ofthe type, shown in Fig. 6. ,Now consider. some.loweracceleration (an). The--maximum. displacement .(dn) is caused by -the,.pulse'I (of..known,.size) .plusthe pulse 11 of ,heretofor unknownsize. ,Since the .displacement,(d11) is recordedbythe gagethe .pulse II. can be. determined. Ina similar. manner each successivesquare pulse II I, IV, V,.a'nd VI, respectivelycanbe calculated. andplotted as shown in.-Fig. .8,'..and a.smooth, curve 49 .drawn through thepulses indicates the actual pulse.

. The accuracy .ofgthemethod is determined by .the

.size. of the increments taken. ...The accelerationtimecurve which results defines the shock to .Which the.;.gage-.was subjected.

iLThe ratchetmembersflllare pivoted ona, pair of shafts"2l' and 22 running. axially, through the .body of the instrument on.opposite sides .of.,the

.cylinders. QAnothenpair ,of .bars 23.and 24 .run-

.ningthrou'gh the body of the instrument also on .oppositesides ofstheecylinders, slightlybelow the "shafts 21 .and 22, are; joined. together at .one .end by the cross.-piece. 25.haying.aknob 26. .The bars 23. .and 24.. ,have "diagonal, cam. surfaces 21 and.28..-respective1y forcocking the ratchetmembers toJtheir .initial. positions, .bringing. alllthe .mass.ele1nents up against ,themppermost notches of their respective ratchet-members. For releasing ,the-mass tor.their..-normal .uppermqstpdsitions-the-bars 23 andiill-arelsimultaneous-ly pulled :outimanuallyby:meanstofitheaknob 26. After all scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A shock gage for mounting on a body subjected to a shock, comprising a casing having a series of bores therein axially aligned with the direction of the shock force, a mass mounted for sliding movement in each bore, stops for said masses at the end of each bore, resilient means exerting difierent forces on the several masses for urging the masses against said stops in a direction opposing the displacement of the masses relative to said casing during said shock, means for catching and holding each mass at its maximum displacement having means for indicating the amounts of said displacement, and means to release said holding means and thus permit the resilient means to return all the masses to the positions they held prior to said shock.

2. A shock gage for mounting on a body subjected to shock, comprising a casing having a series of bores therein axially ali ned with the direction of the shock force, a mass mounted for sliding movement in each bore, a stop for each mass at the end of its corresponding bore, resilient means exerting different forces upon the several masses for urging the masses against said stops in a direction opposing the displacement of the masses relative to said casing during said shock, one-way ratchet means for catching and holding each mass at its maximum displacement having, means for indicating the amounts of said dis- Number placement, and means for releasing said holding means and thus return all the masses to the positions they held prior to said shack.

3. A shock gage comprising a body having a plurality of sockets therein, a series of movable masses one disposed in each of said sockets, resilient means for each mass aligned with and in opposition to the applied shock force exerting different forces upon the several masses, whereby said masses move difierent distances under the infiuence of said shock, means for catching and holding each mass at its maximum displacement having means for indicating the amounts of said displacement, and means to release said holding means and thus permit the resilient means to simultaneously return all masses to the positions they held prior to said shock.

CHARLES E. CREDE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kennedy Nov. 22, 1921 Zahm Dec. 16, 1924 Beyer Feb. 16, 1926 Baskerville Feb. 4, 1930 Perrey June 27, 1939 Duby Feb. 20, 1940 Perrey May 18, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July 24, 1923 Germany Aug. 12, 1930 Number 

